This invention relates to a gyroscopically stabilized platform and, more particularly, to a floated, internally gimballed stable platform which, in combination with a rigid structure, is used to stabilize inertial instruments.
Internally gimballed, gyro-stabilized platforms are often more compact than the usual externally gimballed platforms. However, the principal difficulty of prior art internal gimbal systems or assemblies, such as will be shown and described later herein, is the tendency of the shaft, which couples elements of the platform (such as oppositely disposed tables) on which the inertial instruments are mounted, to bend under applied acceleration. The bending of this shaft, which is more specifically referred to as the "azimuth shaft", causes inertial instruments on one table to rotate with respect to those inertial instruments on the other table. The errors caused by this undesired relative rotation makes such systems or assemblies unsuited for precision, or high-"g", applications.
I have invented a unique internally gimballed platform assembly which obviates this bending and rotation problem that is inherent in the prior art; and, thereby, I have significantly advanced the state-of-the-art.